The Cawing of Crows
by Hafthand
Summary: A moonlit encounter in an empty classroom when all hope seems lost. He sits alone in the classroom and sees her run in. DARK FIC folks, you know me and the darkness!


**Title: The Cawing of Crows**

**Author: Hafthand**

**Rating: R**

**Summary: A moonlit encounter in an empty classroom when all hope seems lost.**

**WARNING: This is a very dark fic dealing with the theme of suicide.**

**A/N: Hello everyone. This is a really dark fic and no love lost between Draco and Hermione. This came to me when listening to Switchfoot's "Dare You To Move."**

**I know everyone and their brother has used this song, but they used it with good reason. I love it and it inspired this. Hope you like, well actually you probably won't, it really isn't a happy feeling fic!**

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He sat alone in the empty classroom staring towards the open window and letting the smoke from his fag enter his lungs in an exotic torture. It was an eerily calm night, the moon almost full, and a few scattered clouds hanging low in the sky. Maybe it would snow, maybe not. It was a cold night, but Draco had opened the window regardless. He enjoyed the bitingly cold wind that was now brushing through his almost white hair. He could hear the cawing of crows in the distance. He was alone in the world at this moment, a feeling he rather enjoyed more and more these days.

The sudden bursting open of the door should have startled him. It didn't. The blur that was the a fellow student that ran by him towards the open window should have surprised him. It didn't. Hearing tearless sobs should have peeked his curiosity. It didn't. What did cause Draco's eyebrow to arch was when he saw who it was who had perched herself on the window ledge looking for all the world about to jump.

"Well, well Granger, feeling a little jumpy this evening?" his voice drawled. She didn't jump in fright at his voice; he hadn't expected her to. He knew why she was here, hell half the school probably expected her to be here. He took in her appearance and a glow of respect formed in the tiniest part of his being.

She was dressed in Hogwart's standard black robes, the wind from the window causing it to billow around her slender body. Her back was straight and long, her shoulders lacking any tension at such a precarious moment. Her hair hung low on her back, wilder then ever. Her red, tired, tearless eyes were open and looking at the ground so very far below them. He knew what was the cause for her pain. He knew, hell everyone knew.

He can't say he understood, no it really would be impossible for Draco Malfoy to sympathize. After all he had never loved anyone or anything; he had never had a true friend. He had never felt loss. So no, he couldn't really understand why she was here, but he knew her reasons and that was enough for him to realize why she had made this choice. She had lost her precious boys and she would be next. They were coming for her, everyone knew the truth behind that, and no one could do a damn thing. Malfoy realized she felt alone, and that, that was one thing Malfoy could understand.

"What, no words of warning? No pleading not to jump?" she spat at him.

"You think jumping is the answer Granger, then jump. You're a smart girl. You know the difference between wrong and right. You know the truth behind any situation. You know what your choices are. You don't need me to tell you that. You are gonna die anyway, whether here now, or by someone else's hand later, you know your fate is rushing up on you. So go ahead, jump. No one here to stop you," he said to her still form.

Hermione cocked her head slightly, her wet eyes reflecting the moonlight as she stared at Malfoy. The wind from the open window wrapped around her trembling body, almost as though it were caressing her form. Her wild hair blew out behind her. Her eyes were daring him to move, as his were daring her.

"No one here but you and me," Draco whispered, his eyes dark and cold as he watched her. "Go on Granger, I dare you," he whispered.

"I loved them," she said, so softly he almost hadn't heard her. "They were my life."

"No one doubts that," he said, while taking out a cigarette and sparking it to life with his wand. "Think the whole bloody world knew that."

"We never really stood a chance," she continued as though she hadn't heard him. "Foolish to think a handful of teenagers could defeat an army."

Malfoy nodded his head. He had to agree. "Must say Granger, your suicidal state has finally lifted the cloud from your terribly brown eyes. Congratulations on finally entering the world of reality," he said around the fag in his mouth as he mockingly clapped his hands. "And for the record, you weren't foolish, just human. That was your problem from the beginning," Malfoy exhaled, a cloud of smoke surrounding his head giving him an almost angelic appearance, "you were too damn human."

"Being human separated me from the monsters," she whispered, her head turning to look back out the window. "Thought it would save me; only ended up killing them." Her body leaned forward just a bit more, her eyes fluttering closed. She reached into her robes and withdrew something hidden in her hands. Slowly she stretched her hand in front of her and slowly opened it. Malfoy saw a quick flash of gold that turned into a streak as the object flew away. Must have been Potter's snitch. Malfoy thought he could just make out the hints of a smile on her tragic face. She must be remembering.

"Memories are all you have left Granger, all anyone will have left after this," Malfoy said as he threw his fag to the ground. He arched his back away from the stonewall slowly, feeling his muscles stretch. The moon was moving farther through the night sky and Draco knew it was well past the hour he should be asleep. But instead of leaving, he felt the urge to see how this would all play out.

"I don't want the memories anymore Draco. I want to be left alone," she whispered to the night. Draco felt his body freeze as she said his given name. His eyes closed to small slits and he glared at her leaning body.

"Then Obliviate yourself. No more memories, no more pain," he growled out, leaning back against the wall. His fingers twitched, itching for another fag.

Suddenly she let out a harsh, almost silent laugh. "Yes, that would seem the thing to do. No more tears, no more pain. I would be blissfully ignorant, blissfully ignorant up until the moment they killed me," she growled back, her head shaking slowly. "No Draco, like you said, either way I am dead. This way it is on my terms. This way they won't get my body like they got theirs."

Maybe she had a point. Maybe the mudblood really was seeing things clearly. Draco let out a sigh and stuffed his hands in his pocket. "Yeah well, you have a point. We're all dead before this is over. For once blood won't matter. You, me, them, Death comes for us all," Malfoy whispered as a cold gust of wind howled around the tower.

He saw her smile at his words, a single tear finally falling onto her porcelain face. "Thank you Draco," she whispered.

"See you soon Hermione," he whispered to the now empty classroom. Walking out of the room and into the unusually dark hall, he thought back on what had just occurred. Maybe he would join her when this was all said and done. Maybe he'd join her sooner then she'd think. The horrible cawing of crows in the distance was Malfoy's only company as he slowly walked back to his room.

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**A/N: Well, go on I know some of you will have some very strong opinions! I know it wasn't happy but, well, sometimes life is not happy. ANYWAY, let me know what you all think. Lots of love to all of you! Below are the lovely song lyrics to Switchfoot's beautiful song.**

**Welcome to the planet  
Welcome to existence  
Everyone's here  
Everyone's here  
Everybody's watching you now  
Everybody waits for you now  
What happens next  
What happens next**

**I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
Like today never happened  
Today never happened before**

**Welcome to the fallout  
Welcome to resistance  
The tension is here  
Tension is here  
Between who you are and who you could be  
Between how it is and how it should be**

**I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
Like today never happened  
Today never happened**

**Maybe redemption has stories to tell  
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell  
Where can you run to escape from yourself?  
Where you gonna go?  
Where you gonna go?  
Salvation is here**

**I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
Like today never happened  
Today never happened  
Today never happened  
Today never happened before**

**Love, Ally**

**"It's all a beautiful letdown." –can't remember!**


End file.
